Daily (more or less) commentary on news and events in Carbondale and the Southern Illinois region, with occasional excursions to other locales.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Want More Wine?

The Bucky's Dome folks are hosting a fundraiser at Orlandini Vineyard this Sunday:

The R. Buckminster Fuller Dome Home Non-Profit [RBF Dome NFP, www.BuckysDome.org] is proud to announce its 2nd Annual Orlandini Vineyard Benefit to support restoration efforts of the R. Buckminster & Anne Hewlett Fuller Dome Home (located at 407 S. Forest in Carbondale, IL) scheduled for Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21st, 2009 from noon to 6 pm. Orlandini Vineyard is located at 410 Thorn Lane in Makanda, just 1.3 miles south of Blue Sky Vineyard, off of Rocky Comfort Road. You can reach Orlandini Vineyard at 618.995.2307 (www.orlandinivineyard.com). Make sure to bring your own lawnchairs!

The event will include both silent and live auctions featuring a variety of interesting premiums (the later conducted by Joe Baker, Manager of the Adolescent Health Center), a 50/50 raffle, food will be available from Pomona’s own Mase’s Place (www.myspace.com/masesplacebarandgrill), and entertainment will be provided by the blues stylings of The Ivas John Band (http://ivasjohn.com/press_kit.php), with opening act folk/country artist Candy Davis (of Parsley & Sagebrush Band, www.myspace.com/parsleysagebrushband). Of course the event will also feature a fine variety of hand-tended vintages from the Orlandini Vineyard, which novices and connoisseurs have been enjoying ever since 2001.

The first annual Orlandini Vineyard Benefit, which took place last summer and drew more than 300 supporters, was organized RBF Dome NFP Board Members Bill Perk and Cornelius Crane, and local Fuller aficianado Dr. Linda Hostalek of Holistic Healing Arts (www.FeelGoodDoc.net). Organizers of this year’s event are expecting more than 500 to attend the festivities this Father’s Day.

The recommended donation for the event is $10, and all fundraising proceeds go towards the restoration of the R. Buckminster and Anne Hewlett Fuller Dome Home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The RBF Dome NFP recently completed a $200,000 Save America’s Treasures restoration grant proposal, and will soon be applying for National Historic Landmark status. There are currently only three National Historic Landmarks in Southern Illinois, and none in Jackson County.

Experts from Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and regional tourist agencies have estimated that conservatively speaking, a restored Buckminster Fuller Dome Home will initially bring in somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 visitors or tourists per year to Carbondale to see the historic site. According to the Southern Illinois Tourism Development Office, the average tourist visits for about two and one third days, and spends an average of $306 during their visit. This means that a restored Buckminster Fuller Dome Home would inject somewhere in the neighborhood of an additional $4.6 to $7.6 million into the local economy initially per year. In terms of tax revenue this would mean an additional $110,000 to $180,000 to the City of Carbondale each year, and an estimated net increase of 50 to 70 jobs to accommodate the increased need for services. This is money that will very much be spread throughout the community, especially among hotels, restaurants, retail and other points of interest and cultural attractions. As marketing of this historic site grows and word of mouth spreads, Carbondale will be looking at an additional influx of $100 million over a 10 to 12 year period.

Making the restoration of R. Buckminster and Anne Fuller’s Dome Home at 407 S. Forest Ave. a priority for the City of Carbondale and the entire region is a necessity of the highest order, it is a total “no-brainer.” It is an opportunity to more fully embrace and share a unique cultural and intellectual heritage that belongs to Carbondale alone, while engaging in a tremendous economic development project that will have an immediate and sustained Return On Investment for Carbondale and area residents and businesses alike for decades to come.